The Space Amateur Radio Experiment

The Space Amateur Radio Experiment, or SAREX, was a long-running program to use amateur radio equipment on board the space shuttle, the Russian Mir space station, and the International Space Station. Students from more than 200 schools exchanged questions and answers with astronauts in orbit. It was also used to conduct communications experiments with amateur radio operators on the ground.

What equipment do you need to hear the ISS

Almost any 144 MHz FM rig will receive the ISS, you can even use a general coverage VHF scanner with an external antenna. As far as the antenna is concerned the simpler the better. A ¼ wave ground plane has a high angle of radiation and works well. Large 144 MHz colinears are not as good because the radiation pattern is concentrated at the horizon while the ISS is above 15 degrees elevation for most of a pass.

When to listen

The ISS is in a very low orbit and so is only in range 5 or 6 times each day and then only for a maximum of 10 minutes on the best orbit. This means you need to make sure you’re listening at the right time to hear it. There are a number of websites that tell you when to listen. I use Orbitron Satellite tracking software to see when the ISS is passing over my QTH. See my NOAA page to dowload. Plus on a clear evening you can see the ISS with no problem, it's very bright.